CHARGERS: L.T. eager to teach younger Chargers

Star running back passes on knowledge to Hester, others

By JAY PARIS - Staff Writer | Tuesday, August 19, 2008 12:17 AM PDT ∞

SAN DIEGO --- The tight coaches' shorts, whistle around the neck and salty language will have to wait.

Still, LaDainian Tomlinson is doing more than playing football at this summer's Chargers training camp.

He's teaching it, too.

"It absolutely helps,'' rookie running back Jacob Hester said of Tomlinson distributing advice. "He's really vocal in our meeting room when we are watching film. We get in the room and he will say what he saw on the film that might help us. If we mess up on a play, he will say, 'If I was in that situation, this is what I would have done.'

"Of course you are going to listen to him ---- heck, he is the best ever.''

That running backs' room has a different look for the Chargers this season. Gone are veterans Lorenzo Neal and Michael Turner, replaced by wide-eyed rookies such as fullback Michael Tolbert and running backs Marcus Thomas and Hester.

So Tomlinson, an eight-year pro, sensed a need to assert himself more this summer in educating the baby Bolts about running the ball in the NFL.

"It's just something that needs to be done,'' Tomlinson said after Monday's practice. "As a guy that has been around for a little while now, I know a lot of young guys always have questions. Even when they do have questions, sometimes they are hesitant to say something, and at that point, I make sure I share my knowledge with them.''

And it's quite a reservoir of tips that bubbles from one of the NFL's all-time greatest running backs. Equally as impressive as Tomlinson's resume is the 2006 NFL MVP' s willingness to coach up wide-eyed teammates.

"He could easily say, 'I'm L.T., and I'm not going to help you all,'" said Tolbert, an undrafted rookie. "But he's not that type of person. He's one of the coolest people I've met since I've been out here.''

Tomlinson remembers when others extended him a hand. Terrell Fletcher and Fred McCrary were the wily veterans when Tomlinson was breaking in, and they weren't shy about sharing.

"Both of them guys were very key in my development early on, just because I felt comfortable enough to go to them and ask them all sorts of questions I needed to know,'' Tomlinson said.

Now it's Tomlinson's turn to run and shoot from the lip.

"I think it comes with experience,'' Tomlinson said. "When you have been around a little while and played in a bunch of games and been through every situation you can possibly go through, I think that's when you can really say something, speaking from experience.''

And when you've been a five-time Pro Bowler and are the two-time defending NFL rushing champion, you tend to get the kids' attention.

"I'm a rookie and rookies make mistakes ---- trust me,'' Tolbert said. "And he'll pull me aside and say, 'This is what I'm seeing and this is how Lorenzo Neal did this last year and this is how we read it.' He tells me all the time how I have to take on this block to help him out.''

Tomlinson didn't feel the need to coach when Neal and Turner were part of his group before they left in the offseason. Neal was Tomlinson's lead blocker for five years, Turner his backup for four.

With them, the unspoken word came through loud and clear.

"The relationship Lo (Neal) and I had was something that we built over time,'' Tomlinson said. "You start to work with each other and you get to know each other. The same with Mike. He knew when I needed a break and he knew we were always on the same page. When I tell him, 'No, keep going, (you) have the hot hand,' that takes time to gain that kind of relationship.''

But with Neal in Baltimore and Turner in Atlanta, Tomlinson has been schooling the rookies. Lesson No. 1 is how easily things go haywire once the game begins.

"To be honest with you, I don't think you ever draw it up in the classroom and it goes exactly like that on the field,'' Tomlinson said. "But that's what it is all about ---- that is what football is about. Adjust to the different looks that you have, even though you draw it up a certain way in the classroom. The general principle is still the same, but how do you get it done?''

By watching ---- and listening ---- to the incomparable Tomlinson.

Tomlinson is encouraged that his message is reaching a potentially solid unit.

"This is going to be all right in the backfield,'' he said. "We got a lot of talent back there as we build that relationship like with the previous guys. We are going to do the same with this group of guys.''

Sounds good ---- and everyone learned long ago to never argue with the "coach."

Notes

The Chargers sustained two injuries in Saturday's exhibition loss to the Rams ---- RB Darren Sproles (knee) and OL Scott Mruczkowski (foot) ---- but neither are serious, according to coach Norv Turner. Sproles worked Monday and Mruczkowski isn't expected to miss an extended period. ... CB Antonio Cromartie was limited after having a cyst removed from his wrist and being slowed by a sprained ankle last week. ... Turner is encouraged by TE Antonio Gates' progress from his offseason foot surgery as he continues to work on the side. "Every time he goes out he says he feels better, he feels less pain and recovers faster,'' Turner said. "He is still on target to play when the season starts.'' ... Others not practicing were WR Vincent Jackson (hamstring), DTs Jamal Williams (knees) and Luis Castillo (back), LB Shawne Merriman (knee), Cromartie and LT Marcus McNeill (shoulder).

Contact staff writer Jay Paris at jparis8@aol.com.